Bernardo Silva slams ‘unfair’ Premier League scheduling

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has criticised the Premier League over what he described as unfair scheduling following his side’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday.

Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time strike denied City victory at the Emirates, with Silva pointing to fatigue as a key factor.

City had just 66 hours to prepare after their 2-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday night. That game kicked off at 20:00 BST, while the Arsenal clash began at 16:30 BST on Sunday.

By contrast, Arsenal had four full days of rest after their 2-0 victory against Athletic Club in Bilbao on Tuesday, giving them a longer recovery window than their opponents.

“It is not fair to play one of these games like this. It is just not right,” Silva said.

“The reality is we cannot come into one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest,” he added.

Silva admitted he struggled physically, saying: “I wasn’t feeling in a perfect condition to play like this, and people who have not played at the highest level don’t know how it feels to play a game like this. You need to be at your best condition.”

Manager Pep Guardiola echoed his player’s view, saying City were “incredibly tired” after their midweek European tie.

Guardiola has long argued that English teams are placed at a disadvantage in Europe because of tight domestic schedules, claiming earlier this year that the Premier League often gives its clubs “the toughest schedules in the important stages”.

Silva, who played 62 matches for City and Portugal last season, insisted he did not believe fixtures were designed to hurt his team but called for greater fairness.

“It could happen to Arsenal or Liverpool in a few months. But when you are playing an Arsenal v City, or a City v Liverpool, or a Liverpool v Arsenal, you need to have a bit of common sense, and understanding of these situations,” he said.

Other Champions League sides also faced quick turnarounds. Newcastle played Barcelona on Thursday night before travelling to Bournemouth for a 14:00 Sunday fixture. Liverpool hosted Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and then faced Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday at 12:30. Chelsea were away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday before visiting Manchester United on Saturday.

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